Contests
by KunoichiOfDaLeaf
Summary: When the countries prince is old enough to marry, a grand contest takes place. The prize being, the prince's hand in marriage. Rin Kagamine, a girl who hates her monarchy with a passion, somehow gets mixed up in it. She has Miku to thank for that. Yep, the blue-haired girl wasn't going to eat Leeks for a month.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi people! This is my first Vocaloid story! It's inspired my The Selection series by Kiera Cass. Read and Review**

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><p>I was finally getting it! Yep. I had passed my driving test. Now I just needed to get my license. I giddily walked over to city hall with Miku. She had gotten her driving license a while ago and was accompanying me to get mine.<p>

"You seem happy" Miku said, grinning.

"Yep! Now I can finally drive! Our stupid monarchy has declared it!" I replied.

Miku rolled her eyes, "why do you hate them so much?"

"Oh, I dunno. Maybe it's because they're all so fake. Have you seen any of their interviews?" I shuddered. "They're too perfect to be humans. I'm telling you Miku, they're robots. Robots!"

She giggled and shook her head, "Surree"

I shrugged, "When everyone finds out the truth, I'll be the first one to say I told you so."

She gave me a look, "Rin. You'll be the only one who tells me that. Besides, it's not going to happen."

We passed by the post office and walked into City Hall. It was teeming with life, as always. I walked over to the receptionist desk. Which was located directly to the left, when you entered. I looked at Miku who wandered over to a chair, right next to the registration area. If you wanted to fill out any applications or forms you would go there.

I turned back to the receptionist and smiled, "Hi, um I'm here for my driving license"

"Rin Kagamine?" she asked, taking out a card from an organized cabinet.

"Yep! That's me." I answered reaching out to grab the card.

She smiled, and handed it to me, "Be sure to drive safe."

I nodded, "of course."

I was about to walk over to Miku, when she stopped me. She looked at me with great interest, "Wait. Is your last name Kagamine?"

I nodded, "Yea…"

She looked surprised, "are you by any chance related to the-"

"No. I'm not." I said cutting her off.

She looked a little disappointed. "Oh! Well, I'm sorry for disturbing you."

I smiled, trying to hide my irritation. "No problem."

Did everyone have to connect me to that person? Last names didn't mean much. I was sure that there were thousands of people with the same last name.

I walked back to Miku who was staring at a TV screen, "what's up?"

She pointed to the TV screen where someone was announcing what seemed to be a contest, "it's that time again! That's right folks! One of our prince's is now old enough to get married! Starting from now, until 9 o'clock tonight, people from all over the country can register themselves to be part of the contest for his hand in marriage. You must be 16 years or older to participate. 50 people will be picked out at random to participate in the contest. The lucky girls will then compete for the prince. There will be 10 rounds. Participants can be disqualified at any time. It's all up to the judge, the prince. The winner will be the new queen of the country!" The announcement ended and the room was in dead silence.

Things like this were big news in the country. It was not often that the stupid contest took place. After a prince reached the age of 18, he would pick out a bride through the contest. It was a disgusting tradition that had been passed down through the years.

Soon people started talking and City Hall was back to normal. Half the girls who were in the hall started lining up to enter their names into a computer in the registration center. Registration for entering the competition opened up immediately after the message. We ended up sitting next to one.

"So are you signing up?" Miku asked.

I shook my head. I wasn't interested in these kinds of competitions. Nope! Especially not if the prize was getting married to the prince.

"Why not?" asked Miku.

I gave Miku a look, as if saying, do I really need to explain it to you. "It's so stupid. Why are a bunch of girls fighting over a man that they've never met?"

Miku nodded slowly, "You've got a point, but isn't it cool? Anyone, no matter what their blood line could end up being the queen!"

"Yes, it's soo cool that a criminal, that just got out of jail could end up being our queen" I said, sarcastically.

Miku frowned, "you're no fun Rin."

I shrugged, "so are you signing up?"

Miku grinned, "Nope! We're signing up."

I chuckled, "good joke Miku, but…" I looked over. She wasn't listening. She had already filled out the online form and entered my name in the contest. I gaped at her, while she was filling out her own. When she was finished, she turned around and saw my expression.

"Chill Rin. It's not like we're going to be picked anyways. Just getting picked to be in the top 50 is rare." She assured me.

I nodded, not really taking in what she was saying. What the heck was Miku thinking?! Was she crazy! Why?! Just why?! I didn't want to be related to that arrogant prince in any way possible!

"Rin? Rin? Rin!" Miku snapped me out of my dilemma. "Calm down. If you do somehow get picked. I won't… eat leeks for a month." She said hesitantly.

I glared at her, "You better pray, that I don't get picked."

She nodded, "I am. I mean…a month without leeks! How can I survive?"

"You wouldn't" I laughed.

She grinned, "finally smiling, huh?"

I wiped it off as immediately as she said that. She frowned. "When do the 'lucky' girls get chosen anyways?" I asked.

"Since, it's all done online, the results should be out tonight on TV, right after it closes." Miku responded.

I cursed, "oh just great! The next…" I looked at my watch. It was currently 5 P.M. "…4 hours of my life could change everything."

Miku laughed, "calm down Rin. Remember what I told you?"

I nodded, "I hope you're right leek lady."

She smiled and started walking out the door, "c'mon, let's grab some food. I'm starving."

I nodded. "I couldn't say no to food."

After buying some oranges and leeks from the supermarket, we made our way home to our apartment. Miku looked at her watch, "Wow…that took way longer than I expected"

"Well, we walked there so of course it took longer" I answered, "what's the time anyways?"

"6 P.M." she said. I gaped. An hours had passed?

"It's a long walk" she shrugged.

I sighed, "I have work to do…"

Miku winced, "project deadlines tomorrow, right?"

I nodded feeling miserable. "Yea, I hoped that I could finish it before 10. It's going to take me all night now." I groaned.

"I'll help you out" Miku said, "I've got nothing to do tonight anyways."

I hugged her, "Miku you're a lifesaver!"

She laughed, "yea, I'm pretty awesome."

We were in our neighborhood now. Our house was just around the corner. I started looking for my keys in my purse. I had thrown them in somewhere. By the time we reached our door, I still hadn't located them. Miku watched, "did you lose them?"

I glared, "you have no trust in me Miku!"

"Well?" she asked.

"Ye-" my hands touched cold metal. I had found them, "Of course not! I have them right here!" I pulled them out grinning.

Miku looked surprised, "you got lucky."

I grinned, "so what?" I unlocked the door and gestured for her to go in. "You first, Ohime-sama"

She grinned and punched me on the shoulder. "You're seriously a daughter of evil Rin."

I bowed, "I pride myself."

We laughed. It was this joke we made up when we were little kids. It had stuck and we never forgot about it.

She went in and I followed after her, locking the door. We both took off our shoes and went to the living room. Miku turned the TV onto the news, where the announcements about the contest were being given.

"Hurry! Only three more hours until registration closes!" the person said. She paused for a second. "Yes, yes, I understand" She turned her attention back on the screen. "Hey folks! I just got news that there's been a small change of things. Instead of only one prize there will be two! Prince Kaito has decided to join! This means instead of 50 candidates, a total of a hundred will be picked. If you already registered, you will automatically be submitted into both contests. May I remind you that they are both separate. When the candidates for the contest will be picked we will first tell you the names of the 50 candidates who will be participating in the contest for Prince Kaito, then we will announce who will be battling for Prince Len's heart.

I sighed, dismissing it. If anything, this message was going to freak me out even more than the contest already was. I picked up my laptop and jumped onto the couch. It was time to finish that stupid project. Miku sat next to me handing me a bowl of peeled oranges. She was munching on a leek. "How much have you gotten done so far?" she asked.

I showed her the three pages of work. I had to finish two more pages of the project to finish. She started reading my paper, editing it here and there. She looked at me after she was finished, "Rin it looks fine. Just make sure the paragraph on, why you think different types of music express different kind of people, a little clearer." She looked at the essay again, "Also, I remember that when I did this, my professor told us to add what was on chapter three and two. The essay should write itself after that"

I raised a brow, "and how remember that?"

She shook her head, "You don't know how much I hated this stupid project. I worked hard on it throughout the night and then our professor didn't even grade it hard. College is confusing"

I laughed, "You worked hard? I dunno Miku…You seem so…so un-"

Miku glared, "don't you dare say it."

"Uneducated" I finished.

She grabbed a pillow and smacked me with it, "mean! I finished all my papers a week ago. At least I didn't procrastinate!"

"Look who's talking?! This is the first time!" I yelled grabbing one to defend myself.

She grinned and stopped. "Anyways, just finish writing it. I'll be bored if I have to watch TV all night."

I nodded, throwing the pillow aside and giving her a thumbs up, "thanks to your tip, I should be done by 9."

Miku smiled, "sweet!" She turned back to the TV and started listening to the news, while I started reading textbook pages. It took me 30 minutes to finish the whole section. I looked at the clock: 6:45. It was still pretty early. I started my paper right away, finishing a little more than two hours later.

"Miku I'm done!" I called.

She had gone into the kitchen to cook dinner. "Just in time" she said walking over with a plate of food.

I took it gratefully and started eating. I looked at the clock. It was 8:55. "The winners will be announced in 5 minutes, right?"

She looked at the clock and nodded, "yep!"

I switched on the TV, changing the channel to the news.

"We're just a few minutes away from announcing the candidates participating in the contest! Get ready girls. It may be your lucky day!" The scene changed to two men. One had messy blue hair, while the other one had blonde hair tied up in a ponytail in the back. Kaito and Len were flashing there 'charming' smiles at the camera. The scene changed back to the host a few minutes later.

"Good luck to all the girls watching this tonight!" the host smiled brightly. "It's time to announce the winners."

Miku and I listened to the names as they called the names of the 50 girls who were fighting for prince Kaito. First the name would come up, along with a picture of how the person looked. It didn't interest me at all, until Miku's name was called. I looked over to see her expression. She stared at the TV, with her jaw dropped, "tell me that isn't true."

"It's true" I told her.

"Bu-wha- I…wow" she managed at last

I laughed "Good luck" I said.

She nodded, "Yea, I'll need it."

I looked at her seriously. "You better win that thing. I'm going to be really angry if you come back six months later without winning anything."

She grinned, "You're going to be so lonely without me"

I didn't say anything, but continued starting at the TV. Miku smiled.

A few more names were called to compete for Kaito. Teto, IA, and Mayu really stood out.

"Time to announce the people competing for Len!" the host called. I groaned. I hated him most of all. Kaito was alright. Unlike the other royals, he wasn't stiff in all his interviews. He didn't always humbly answer every question. He often joked around in his interviews. He was the human among the robot family. Len on the other hand, was too nice. Too humble. Too perfect. Girls in my school would worship every word he uttered. That wasn't normal. No. It wasn't normal at all. If he really wasn't a robot then, he was probably an arrogant, spoiled prince. No one could be that nice.

I listened to the people getting picked, one of them could be me. Random names were called out. Some of the girls were really pretty. Neru, Gumi, and Tei really stood out. I'd probably be rooting for one of them. I smiled. I was basically free! There was only one more name about to be called and that possibly couldn't me. I wasn't that unlucky! I grabbed my cup of orange juice and started drinking it. "Kagamine Rin!" I started chocking on my juice. No way! Please no. Why did life hate me? I closed my eyes and opened them, hoping to see someone else's face on the screen. To my disappointment, I saw myself. I was sure going to hate the next couple of months.


	2. The Very Next Day

**Hello people! Here's chapter 2 of Contests. Me and my friend FlameRuby worked hard on it. She has officially become my beta-reader for this story! **

**Please Review! I love to get your feedback. It encourages me to write more and update more frequently!**

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><p><strong>FlameRuby wanted to give you guys a message:<strong>

**Hey! Annoy Witch a lot! It's one of my hobbies. Call her short, lazy, perverted, anything offensive will do! That's right!**

**Yeah I'm FlameRuby. I like Nutella. And I'm bad at introductions. Witch is actually a good person, treat her well. I like to ramble. I don't know what to say. **

**Alright so enjoy the story! :3 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :3**

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><p>"Rin, come on. The limo is here," Miku called out.<p>

Apparently the contest started the very next day! The idiot king was getting on my nerves. Didn't he realize that we all had lives?

On the last day of college, Miku and I received a lot of uncomfortable stares. It was annoying to walk through the halls without getting a lot of embarrassing attention. However, to make up for that, a lot of my friends gave me sweet oranges to cheer up my mood.

Despite the chaotic events that occurred, one thought ran through my head all day: I didn't want to win. Still, I had to admit I liked to receive everyone's support.

We had to rush through everything when we got home. The limo came an after we arrived home. It was pretty inconvenient. To our relief, we made it in time.

I locked our door and ran outside. Since my suitcase was tiny, it wasn't hard to carry it down the stairs. I walked towards the limo and put it in the trunk. We weren't supposed to bring much into the castle, since we were going to be given clothes for the competition. This sucked because I couldn't wear comfy clothes for a while.

I knew this because reruns of the last competition started to show up on TV yesterday. Since we didn't have much to do after dinner, Miku and I decided to see what the competition would be like. To my utmost pleasure. I found out that all the contestants wear is skirts and dresses. Yay… On the bright side, I was allowed to bring my giant orange plushie. This made considerably happier of course. I couldn't live without that thing.

The chauffeur opened the door and gestured for us to go in. As we went in, I realized how rich the inside of the limousine looked like. It felt so spacious. Leather seats curved around the inside of the vehicle. A long glass table extended across the middle. A disco ball circulated at the center of the roof, sending colorful rays around the interior. Music blasted through the speakers and created a festive atmosphere. Miku grinned and said, "This is awesome."

I nodded in agreement while adding this experience to my Top Ten Cool definitely replaced first place, which was a going on a vacation to a theme park nearby. The theme park was actually rated very low nationally, but I had a great time. It was weird to know that the events on my current list would most likely be replaced. Glancing at my blue plastic Diego Watch, I relaxed into the comfy leather seat. "How long will it take to get to the castle?" I asked the chauffeur.

He looked at his silver watch, "It's 4:00 P.M. now. It should take us 30 minutes to get to the airport. After that, you will have a 2 hour flight to the castle."

Miku gave him a big smile, "Thanks!"

The chauffeur blushed faintly and quickly turned his attention back to the road. I looked towards Miku and raised a brow. Miku playfully smiled in return. This girl definitely had a chance in her competition. Kaito would probably be seduced the first day he met her.

I shook my head and searched the huge car for a source of entertainment. A large TV screen at the back of the limo caught my eye. I grabbed the remote from the side of the TV and turned it on with happiness. A video of Miku and I sitting in limo flashed on the screen. I stared blankly at the screen as a reporter blabbed on about us. The whole world was stalking us...just great. I turned to look at Miku who seemed to notice as well. She scooted closer with her mouth hung open. "No way," she mumbled with a distant expression.

"I know," I replied, horrified.

Seriously? I felt like my personal bubble that I've kept since kindergarten had just burst. Sighing in disappointment, I realized that I wasn't going to get any privacy in the next couple of months.

"The whole country is excited! The suitors for each of our king's hands' in marriage are here. Right now, you're seeing Rin Kagamine and Miku Hatsune. It's rare to get picked for the competitions, but these two roommates both got picked for different kings. Aren't they lucky? They both have a chance to become queen and they don't need to spoil their friendship for it. If these girls weren't middle class, I would totally think that this was more than a coincidence!" The reporter said. I stared at her face in irritation. Did she just say that if we were rich, we probably would have bribed people to get in? She had now received a position in my list of people I hated.

Sooner or later, the car started to slow down at the front of the airport. While our chauffeur was taking out our luggage from the back, I stared down at my feet. To get out of here as soon as possible, I had to have a plan. It couldn't look like I purposely failed the rounds, so it must look like I actually tried. My thoughts were soon interrupted as the chauffeur opened our door and smiled, "We have arrived, my ladies."

He walked us to the door where a couple of security guards were waiting for us. One of the security guards motioned for us to follow him as the rest surrounded us. We started to follow them, but stopped when the chauffeur called out his advice.

"Don't pay attention to the hosts and announcers. They're usually paid to put some of the contestants in a negative light. This way the contestants in the upper class are more likely to win. Don't give them the satisfaction that they want." he said.

I smiled. This man was quite nice. "Thanks!" I replied cheerfully.

As went on our way to the plane, I saw a huge mass of people waiting for us. It wasn't hard to guess that they were the paparazzi dying for a picture with us, or kill us.

"Smile," Miku whispered into my ear. I always envied her natural smile and wondered how she could be so easy with people she never knew. Looking back toward the crowd, I put on a smile myself. Even if I wasn't going to win this competition, I wasn't going to make the whole world think I was a asshole.

We waved and got some pictures with people who looked like they were our fans. Most of them wanted pictures with both of us. We didn't really mind. To be truthful, I really enjoyed it.

The guards notified us that it was getting late, when we were in the middle of taking a picture. We said our goodbye's to our fans and hurried onto the plane. I'd never flown first class before so I was looking forward to it.

Miku and I shared an apartment on the plane since we were already closely acquainted. We spent our time looking at the fluffy clouds outside, watching some TV shows, and eating a bunch of delicious food. The plane had its very own on-board chef, so the food was fresh and not like your normal economy class microwaved lunches.

As we were finishing our meals, we laughed over Noragami. Yato was stealing food food from the fridge, while Hiyori and her mom watched. The evil neko face was pretty amusing. I mean who didn't love neko faces? The fact that he copied all of her dad's movements and her mom didn't notice that a bunch of food from the fridge also cracked us up.

After the scene ended, the captain announced, "Hello folks! This is Captain Oliver, your pilot, speaking. We'll be reaching our destination soon. Please put your seatbelts on."

We stopped playing around and put them on. In ten minutes I would be at a place that could change my life forever. I was totally not nervous or anything…Right?


	3. Oliver

**Hey people! Here's chapter 3 of Contests! This chapter was so fun to write. It took a while to get published, though. I'm kinda proud of it.**

**Anyways, I want to thank everyone who followed and Favorited. Special thanks to iloveyugiohGX93, Moonlight queen, Lolly1o1, and Purple Neko for reviewing! It means a lot!**

**Read and Review people. I hope you enjoy it!**

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><p><strong>Flameruby's letter to the public:<strong>

** Did you know elephants are super intelligent creatures? They found out another way to solve a puzzle that the scientists didn't even think of. It's amazing.**

**Yeah, I spent lotsa time on this story. But... Oops was about to say her name, WITCH probably spent the most. So thank her for her not so amazingness. Aww I have homework it's like all the teachers are like, LAST MINUTE HOMEWORK AND A BUNCH OF TESTS BEFORE BREAK. And they make you makeup the work when you go on a field trip, oh the agony. The pain. This is long. Wow. I like it when authors say "Enjoy!" before a story so you feel like you're going to read something good, which is usually good. It makes me happier after a long day. Like this story. It's good.**

**Enjoy the story! I am beautiful chan.**

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><p>"Right this way, ladies," The blonde said.<p>

Captain Oliver had offered to escort us into the castle himself. He didn't look like what I expected him to be. I imagined a middle aged man with graying hair flying the plane. To my surprise, the captain looked about the same age as me. He could have been a little older or younger, I couldn't really tell.

Miku tapped my shoulder. I turned to face her. She leaned close and cupped her hand around my ear, "The captain's kinda hot. Isn't he?"

"Why are you telling me this?" I said, tempted to shove Miku away.

Miku looked exasperated, "I'm surprised that you were born a girl, Rin. Think like a girl for once!" she whispered fiercely.

I sighed and looked over at Oliver. Miku wasn't wrong when she said that he was attractive. His charming smile made me want to smile with him as well. And even if he had bandages around his left eye to block out a part of his face, it made him look cooler. His blonde hair covered his mesmerizing golden eye. His accent was attractive too.

I looked at Miku who was awaiting my answer. "He's hot." I whispered. A smile started forming across Miku's face. "I'm not really interested though," I said, causing Miku to pout.

"Rin!" she complained.

I shrugged and turned my attention to my surroundings. The castle reminded me of Sleeping Beauty's castle, though it looked twice as elegant. I didn't want to admit it, but I absolutely adored its design. The architect who built this enormous castle knew what he or she was doing. They had created a masterpiece.

Oliver watched us gaping in awe. "Nice, is it not?" he asked.

We simultaneously nodded.

He chuckled at our reactions, "You lot are quite like siblings. Both of your reactions are so similar."

Miku grinned and pulled me into a one-armed hug, "This little lamb takes after me. She wouldn't be able to live without me! After all, I'm the number one princess in the world!"

I squirmed away. "That's completely not true!" I smirked as she started to pout, "By the way, I can't live without oranges, Miku. I think I could manage without..." I said.

She glared at me, "Don't you dare…"

"You." I finished.

Miku put a hand on her chest and mocked offense, "You're such a Daughter of Evil, Rin!"

A sinister smile crept up on my lips, "Stop acting like everyone has to do what you ask of them, ohime-sama."

Miku blinked, "Everyone really does have to do what I ask of them though."

I tilted my head and raised a brow, "Oh really?"

Miku grinned, "Why, of course, my little queen."

I shook my head and put my hands on hips. "Princess. You have no authority to talk to me in such a rude manner. You absolutely do not want to be punished, do you?" I said menacingly.

Miku looked horrified and screamed, "Don't take my leeks away!"

I smiled coldly, "As I thought! Now be a good little girl and don't misbehave again."

Miku nodded, "Yes, my queen!"

We glared at each other for a few seconds, before bursting into laughter.

Oliver watched, amused at our little scene, "Would you both care to explain, what that was all about?"

"A story," Miku said mysteriously.

"One that takes place several years ago," I added, using the same tone.

He shook his head, smiling, "Out of all the suitors in this competition, I wonder how I got stuck with you two."

Miku dramatically cast her arm out, "It is destiny!"

"Blame the fates!" I said grinning.

"Sure, I will!" He exclaimed with a wink. "Anyhow, I've been wondering something about you lot. You both seem so close. How long have you pair been roommates?"

"About a semester?" I answered with a little doubt.

Oliver looked surprised, "Really?"

Miku nodded, "Yup!"

"Why?" I questioned.

Oliver shook his head, "It's nothing. I'm just surprised by how close you both are. I thought you knew each other much longer than that."

"Well, that's because we have known each other for more than a semester," Miku explained, while twirling her pigtails with her fingers. "We lived near each other as children, so we would see each other often. After we graduated high school, we both decided to go into the same career path. Once I found out that Rin was going to attend the same college that I was, I called her and we decided to share an apartment."

Oliver nodded, "Oh, okay. That makes sense."

"Mmhm. Oh! Oliver, did you know that Miku was weird as a child? When she was seven, she took out a lot of odd crayfish-like things from a random pond and put them in her bathtub," I said smirking. "You should have seen how her mother reacted."

"Rin, that was confidential information," Miku said while gritting her teeth. However, after a second, she cheerfully said with a teasing smile, "But it's not nearly as confidential as that one time you bumped into that cashier and he fell on top of you. Even better, he accidentally kissed you. Poor Rinny, losing her lips to a stranger!"

"Miku, I'm going to kill you!" I growled, walking over to her.

She yelped and hid behind Oliver who chuckled nervously, "I cannot have a murder on my hands, you two."

"I'll cover it up," I muttered angrily.

"Sorry Rin, but I can't let you do that," he said.

I sighed and crossed my arms, "Fine."

He smiled and continued leading us to our new living quarters. We passed through the castle gates and entered the castle doors. The interior of the castle was just as magnificent as the exterior of the castle. As soon I stepped in, I could feel the enormous amount of space overwhelm me. With golden designs painted like vines, the walls made the lobby feel like a regal jungle. The floor was spotless and was a shade similar to a dark beige; it was perfect for a royal ball. The long curtains hanged on sides of the room were a deep maroon. Expensive furniture was placed across the room in a stylish manner. I thought back to our tiny one room apartment and realized that my comfy little orange painted room would never compare to this.

On our way there, Oliver started to explain the significance of the numerous places in the castle. To my surprise, I found it extremely interesting. Apparently, we had stood in the same place that the first queen danced in. I had also found out that someone was brutally murdered in the guest bathrooms a century ago. I made a mental note never to go in there alone, if I would ever go in there at all.

There were quite a lot of old musical instruments in the castle's private music collection. According to Oliver, it was one of his favorite places to be in the castle. It wasn't hard to see why; Miku and I fell in love with it right away. The room was filled with instruments from every musical instrument group there possibly could be. Ancient-looking pianos, violins, antiquated guitars, microphones, and many instruments and instrumental tools that I couldn't name were neatly placed around the room. In addition to the old musical objects, there were plenty new and fancy instruments. Musical albums from singers from several years ago were displayed in huge glass cases and collections of sheet music were stacked in piles to the side. I felt like I was in a musician's paradise.

Oliver led us into another room once he discovered our interest in music. Like the room before, it didn't disappoint me. However, this room showcased instruments from different countries around the world. With my hands over my mouth, I stared at the instruments in awe. I was tempted to reach over the security tape and snatch a few of them to play. My rational side kept me from doing that and getting arrested.

Each instrument had a silver plaque that told you what it was called and a flag next to it to represent what country it originated from. I walked through the room and read as many names as I could. Finally, when I read a quarter of plaques, Oliver said that it was getting late and we still had a little more to see.

I followed Oliver out of the room with a small frown on my face. When he noticed how dejected I looked, he promised me that he would take me back there the next time he had time. I brightened at that and fist bumped the air.

"Your rooms are just beyond the painting gallery," Oliver said while leading us through the hallways.

The gallery was beautiful. Several different types of paintings from different eras hung on the walls. According to Oliver, some of the paintings dated back to when the kingdom was first established.

I was admiring a painting of a log cabin when Miku called out, "Rin! Doesn't that one look cool?"

I turned to face the painting Miku was looking it at. The painting had a run-down farmhouse with a happy family playing in the fields. My eyes widened in shock and recognition. After all, I was there….

"And then they lived happily ever after." My mother proclaimed.

I giggled, "Again! Again!"

She rolled her eyes playfully, "Again? It's already getting late, sweetness."

"Please Mommy! Please! One more time!" I begged.

She sighed and opened the book once again, "Alright."

"Yay!" I squealed with happiness.

My mom chuckled and began reading the story, "Once upon a time…"

"Rin? Rin? You alright? Rin?" Miku frantically asked.

My eyes slowly opened. I squinted as the sudden intake of light temporarily blinded me. Feeling the cold flat surface underneath me, I turned my head to see that I was laying on the floor. Miku was sitting next to me with her hands firmly held onto my shoulders. Oliver touched my head with the back of his hand to check whether I had a fever. They both had expressions of worry etched on their faces.

"Should we call a doctor?" He said with a concerning voice.

I slowly pushed myself of the floor and shook my head. "N-no," I stuttered. "I'm fine. Sorry for scaring you two."

They didn't seem to believe me, but they said no more on the matter. The rest of the walk to our rooms was quiet. I mentally sighed for ruining the pleasant mood we had before.

The part of the castle that the suitors were staying reminded me of a hotel. Two rows of doors went through the hallways. My room and Miku's room were right across from each other. Oliver explained that the doors on my side were all occupied by people competing for Len, while the doors on Miku's side had occupants who were competing for Kaito.

He informed us that we would have a photoshoot tomorrow. The pictures the kingdom had displayed, when we were picked as contestants were too plain. They had displayed passport pictures or drivers licenses. It was ironic to think that I got mine that same pictures from the photoshoot were supposed to help make the competing ladies look more appealing to the public.

In the process of being informed of our schedule, we also found out that Oliver would be our teacher while we were here at the castle. The skills he would teach us would be beneficial to win the competition. Even though I wasn't going to win, these skills could help me for the future.

"Thanks for the info," Miku said.

"Yeah thanks," I agreed.

Oliver smiled, "You're welcome." He looked at me, "Rin, please tell me if anything unusual happens to you. I am a person you can count on." He turned to Miku "Miku, you as well. You lot can always rely on me."

I gave a big smile, "Thanks, Oliver."

He smiled back, "Not a problem, my ladies," He looked at his watch and cursed. "You will be eating dinner in your rooms tonight. You will also meet your maids tomorrow morning. Sorry for not being able to explain more, but I must run. Good luck to you two," he said before dashing off.

Miku let out a long sigh when he disappeared. "This is going to be a long six months, huh?" she asked.

"It could be shorter," I said. After all, I'd probably be kicked out by round three.

She shook her head and headed for her room, "I think I'll take a nap before dinner. I'm worn out."

I nodded with exhaustion. My muscles were starting to feel sore from walking around the castle all day. "I think I'll do that too." I said while walking in my room.

"Rin?" Miku called.

I turned around with a confused face. Miku wore that worried expression again, "When you're ready, please tell me what all that was about."

I opened my mouth to assure her I would, but no sound came out. I merely nodded and headed in my room. "See you later, Miku," I whispered.

"See you later Rin," She responded.

I closed the door and headed towards my bed. My new room was spacious. Compared to my old bedroom, it was bigger by at least five times. A sectional sofa curved around the middle of the room while an orange floral carpet lay in front of it. An octagonal fish tank coffee table was filled with remotes, vases, and books to read. In front of the coffee table was a black glass TV stand. On the TV stand was a huge plasma screen TV.

I stared at all the unnecessary furniture and walked over to the king sized canopy bed at the end of my room. An expensive looking nightstand stood next to it with a basket of fruit. A note was attached to the basket at the very top. I picked it up and read, 'To the princess staying in this room. I wish you the best of luck.' I shook my head in annoyance and jumped on the bed. The huge bed made me feel as though I were on a warm, fluffy cloud. Sadly, the blissful feeling didn't last long for the fire started quickly...


	4. Hair and Makeup

**Hello! I have returned to give you another chapter of Contests. Before you read this chapter, I would like to inform you that FlameRuby my beta didn't edit this chapter, so there may be mistakes here and there. Sorry! She's busy this week so I didn't want to bother her. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter. **

**Thanks to everyone who followed and favorite. Special thanks to ZanyAnimeGirl, Lolly1o1, and Missy Missy Bounce for reviewing!  
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><p>The<em> blast of heat was too much to handle. Smoke clogged my lungs making it difficult to breath. I was going to die. I knew it. It was inevitable. The flames were coming closer now. I was surrounded. I would be devoured in no time. I fell to my knees, my body felt weak.<em>**  
><strong>

_"Rin!" A voice called._

_My vision was starting to go blank. I could see black spots. I slowly looked up._

_My mother burst through the door. She pulled me out of the flames and into another room. This one wasn't completely consumed, yet. It was easier to breath here. I was regaining my consciousness._

_I looked around. The flames were catching up to us. They weren't going to let us escape. I tightly clutched my mother's hand. She worriedly glanced at me, before frantically looking around._

_That was when the fear really hit me. I really was going to die now. My mother may have known it too. Tears started forming. My mother knocked on the door. She screamed for help and shook the knob desperately. She hit her side against the door, repeatedly, before it finally broke down. She grabbed my arm and pushed me through the door._

_The roof collapsed. My mother wasn't out yet. Half her body crushed underneath the weight of the ceiling. I ran over to her, now I was truly crying._

_"Mommy!" I cried, hugging her._

_She gave me a sad smile, "It's alright Rin. Shh. Calm down. You don't have much time. Go find Daddy and your brother and leave the house."_

_"But Mommy! I don't want to!" I sobbed._

_She put her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. "Rin. You have to get out. Promise me you will."_

_I shook my head, "Only if you promise me you'll be safe"_

_An emotion flashed across her eyes. It was quickly masked with a small smile. "Yea, I promise."_

_I hesitantly let go of my mother and turned away. The fire was getting worse._

_"Rin!" My mother called. I turned around. She was in tears. "I love you. I love you all. Stay safe." _

_The other half was crushed in seconds. I screamed. She was gone. I crumbled to the ground. Rinto burst in, he paused when he saw her. I could hear him choke in a sob. He picked me up and ran out of the house. _

_My mother had lied. _

My heart was pounding. Beads of cold sweat hung on to the nape of my neck. I looked at the golden clock hung by the door. It was 9:00 a.m. There was a plate of food laying on the coffee table. I guessed I had missed dinner last night. I threw off the covers and got out of bed. Oliver said that I'd meet the maids today. I opened the door to my bathroom and walked in. It was huge. I wondered if I was going to have to adjust to my little apartment when I got back.

A toothbrush and some toothpaste were next to the sink. I picked up the toothbrush and applied some Colgate toothpaste on it. I was in the middle of brushing when I heard a knocking sound. I finished quickly and ran to the door. As I twisted the door knob, I felt oddly self-conscious. My hair looked like it was a rats nest and I hadn't showered yet. I hoped I didn't smell too bad. I shook my head and twisted the doorknob. On the other side of the door were three girl. They were more or less my age.

"Hi!" The one in the middle said, "We're going to take care of you, for the time you're here with us."

"Hello." I replied, surprised.

"I'm Galaco." she continued. She pointed to the girl to her left, "This is Merli", she pointed to the girl on her right, "and that's Aoki. They're sisters."

"Oh cool…" I mumbled, not knowing what else to say.

"Anyways, the first thing we need to do this morning is get you clothes. We need to get your measurements right now. We'll give you some clothes to wear after you take a shower. Then, we need to take you to hair and makeup. After that, the photo shoot will take place" Galaco said, pushing me into my room.  
>Merli and Aoki took out some measuring tape.<p>

"Stay still." ordered Merli.

I complied and watched as they took my measurements.

"All done!" Aoki chirped.

I relaxed, but not for long. Galaco handed me a towel and rushed me into the bathroom. "You've got 15 minutes. We're already running late!"

In 15 minutes I was out of the bathroom wearing all white. They gave me a white t-shirt that was way too big for me and white yoga pants. I looked like I was in PJ's.

I was about to ask them what that was about, but they didn't give me any time to speak.

"We've got to get you to hair and makeup my lady!" Aoki said, dragging me through the hallway.

When we got to the hair and makeup room. A lady turned and greeted me. She was beautiful. She wore all red. Her brown hair was cut in a bob. She smiled when she saw me. "Hi, I'm Meiko."

"Hi" I mumbled.

"You're Rin, right?" she asked.

"Yea." I nodded.

She smiled, "It's ironic that you have the same last name as Len."

I noticed that she didn't say Prince Len. She must have been close to him.

"Yea. Ironic" I agreed.

She studied me for a moment. I felt like she was seeing through me. I felt that she knew that I didn't want to be here. My hands started to feel clammy.

"You'd look good in gold Rin" she said, surprising me.

"Gold and maybe orange? No...not for this dress. White would be a good color." She turned to Aoki.

Aoki smiled and gave Meiko a thumbs up. "Already got it boss." she said before rushing out of the room.

Meiko turned her attention back on me and gestured for me to sit in a chair. I did as I was told. She wheeled me in front of a mirror where she analyzed me once again.

"Want to dye your hair? It'd look good in Red." Meiko said.

My hands flew to my head. "No thanks. No dying please."

She chuckled and nodded, "Alright. How 'bout some highlights then?"

I hesitated, but shook my head.

Meiko sighed,"Alright. Anyways, hair and makeup is a must for the contest. What style are you going for to woo the public? We can go for punk, cute, mature, anything you want."

"Can I be me?" I asked. "I don't really want to change for millions of people whom I don't really know"

Meiko grinned, "That works too."

I nodded, feeling a little scared at what she was thinking. Meiko pulled out a notepad and got out a pencil. "I need to know a little about you to create your style" she explained.

"Ok" I replied.

"Favorite food?" She asked.

That one was easy. "Oranges," I replied.

"Favorite thing to do?" She asked.

That one was easy too. "Sing," I answered.

"Favorite person at this moment?" She asked.

This was a hard one. "I don't have one, but a lot" I said.

She nodded thoughtfully, "Nice answer. Can you name a few people and tell me what you like about them?" she asked.

"Rinto. He's my big brother. He's always protecting me. My adoptive parents, they raised us with so much love. Miku Hatsune. She's always been there for me. Finally, my dad, he hasn't really raised me, but I know he loved me a lot."

"Loved?" Meiko asked.

"Yea…" I answered. I didn't want to talk about it.

Meiko didn't pry. "Alright. Um...What career do you want?" she asked.

"I want to be a Singer" I said.

She nodded. "Tell me three words to describe yourself?"

"Sarcastic, interesting, and odd."

She smiled and shook her head. "Next question, are you a virgin?"

I gaped at her and she laughed. "Guess you are."

"Are you?" I retorted, still shocked.

"Of course." she said grinning.

I narrowed my eyes, "I don't believe you."

She just rolled her. "Moving on, are you lower class, middle class, or upper class?"

"Middle…" I replied.

"Have you ever wore makeup?" She asked

"Yes." I said.

"How regularly do you use makeup" she asked.

"I've used it about 5 times in my whole life" I replied.

She paused, "Really?"

I slowly nodded.

She blinked before giving me a tight hug, "You're so cute! No wonder your skin seems so smooth nice."

"Suffocating" I breathed.

She let me go. She had a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry, it's just you don't see that around much these days."

I nodded, looking at her as though she was crazy.

She noticed. "Well, I've got enough information for now. I'll get the rest as I get to know you." she said.

"Alright" I said.

She nodded. She seemed to be turning serious now. "Alright Rin. Not many girls in the competition stay themselves. Are you sure you want to do this? It could work out in your favor or not. I'm not sure if it is the best decision. The current queens of our country didn't choose to be themselves either. The contestants will probably take after them. You'll be unique in that sense, but….."

"I want to be myself" I confirmed. She just said that less people might support me. Of course I was going to choose this.

"Alright" Meiko said.

"Your maids are sewing a dress at the moment. They are extremely talented so the dress should be done by the time I finish makeup. The makeup and hairstyle that i'm going to do are going to go with the dress."

I nodded, "Ok"

"I'm going to put on some light makeup," Meiko continued.

I nodded again, "That's fine."

"Close your eyes and don't move." she ordered.

I did as I was told. Meiko went on doing my makeup for about half an hour. When she told me to open my eyes, I was surprised. The person looking back at me was pretty. She was beautiful. She was me. Everything Meiko had put on didn't change the way I looked. It enhanced it. My eyes were brighter. My lips were slightly redder. I didn't look like a different person as they described in books and movies, I looked like myself and I loved it.

"Like it?" Meiko asked.

"Yes!" I squealed, before immediately shutting up. That outburst was unlike me.

She smiled, "As I've said before. Everyone's going to change their style, but this just might work out for you. Being yourself doesn't give you a set style. You can be anything you want and that's the beauty of it."

"It looks amazing. Thanks" I breathed.

"Of course it does. I did it" Meiko said. I could sense how proud she was. She looked at my hair, "Now what to do with this?"

"Anything you want, except for dying" I answered.

"Highlights?" she asked again.

I shook my head, "Not going to happen Meiko"

She frowned, "How do you want me to put your hair?"

"The same way it usually is."

Meiko nodded. She brushed my hair with a comb and put white hair clips on my bangs. "I'm going to give you headphones to wear, instead of your headband" she said.

"Alright I said."

The headphones didn't look much different from my headband. They were also white and gold, with my signature bow on them. "It's to fit your image as yourself. It shows people your love of music." Meiko explained.

I nodded, "I see."

There was a knock on the door and then a creak. I turned to see what it was. Merli and Aoki walked in the room with Galaco. They were carrying a dress. It was pretty. It was a white knee length summer dress. A gold belt wrapped around its waste. The hem of the dress was gold. The dress had golden flowers blooming all over it. It looked amazing.

"You did that in an hour?" I asked.

"Like it?" asked Merli. She had a big smile on her face.

"It's beautiful" I said.

The girls grinned. "Put it on" Galaco ordered. I turned to Meiko, who nodded.

Merli handed me the dress and I ran in the changing room. I zipped it up. When I came out Galaco handed me a pair of white and gold flats. I slipped them on.

"We need to get you to the event" Galaco said. She kept on glancing at the clock.

"When does it start?" I asked.

"Two minutes…" Galaco replied.

"What?!" I screamed.

"No time to freak out. Move!" Aoki said.

Meiko who seemed to be the calmest one in the room grabbed my hand and ran out the door, dragging me with her. "I know a few short cuts. You won't make it in time without me and I am not letting you mess up my hard work." she said.

She opened the door to a room and closed it, opening another door on the other side. It led out to a random hallway. The hallways passed in a blur. Meiko turned into so many random hallways that I lost track of where we came from. Luckily, she knew where she was going because we made it to the ballroom just in time. I was breathing heavily now, so was Meiko. Everyone in the ballroom turned their heads towards us. We seemed to catch everyone's attention. Sadly, this included the princes'. Prince Kaito raised a brow. I opened my mouth to explain, but Meiko was quicker.

"Sorry! I kept this cute little thing for far too long. I didn't look at the time" she said.

The prince smiled, "As long as you brought her here on time it's fine."

Meiko grinned, "And what if I kept her?"

"Well I'd snatch her back" Prince Len said.

It felt awkward to hear him say something like that. Part of me wanted to throw up. I wasn't some possession meant to be owned by someone. This person hadn't even properly met me.

Meiko rolled her eyes, "Well, I got to get back to work. See ya' Len. Bye Kaito!" Meiko walked out of the room. Everyone was staring at me now. I spotted Miku in the crowd.

'What was that about?' she mouthed.

'Later' I mouthed back. She nodded. I noticed that like me, she didn't look much different. Her blue hair was done in her signature ponytails. She didn't have much makeup on. She was also wearing headphones. Her dress was blue, grey, and black. It was similar to mine. I wanted to question Meiko about that later. For now, I turned my attention back at the podium, where the princes' were going to begin their speeches.

"Hello Ladies, we welcome you to our home. We hope you enjoy your stay here" Prince Kaito began.

"Today, is the official start of the competition. The photos taken today will be what the public sees. You all look beautiful, so I'm sure the public will love you" Prince Len said.

I could hear the girls competing for him swoon. I could also hear the girls competing for Kaito swoon. I gagged. Where these women even the slightest bit loyal?

"We have a few announcements to make" Kaito said. "I'm sure most of you read the rules, but for the people that haven't, we are going to state a few important ones. We would like you to keep in mind that, if you resort to harming your competition in anyway, you will be disqualified. You may not leave the castle without an escort or you will be disqualified. The princes' are the ones judging the competition, they can dismiss you at any time. Also, each round you make it through the competition. You will receive a reward. The reward gets bigger as you pass more and more rounds. The reward for passing round one is a thousand dollars."

"Well, that is it. Enjoy the photo shoot." Len said. Balloons were released marking the event. An orchestra in the back started playing music.

Miku walked over to me. "You're staying aren't you?" she asked.

"I didn't know there were prizes" I mumbled. "I can save him."

Miku smiled, "I'm taking that as a yes?"

I was grinning like an idiot, "Miku I can finally pay for the operation! My dad's going to wake up soon!"

Miku laughed, "Yep, knew it. So you're going to be serious about this? You know you are competing for the prince right?"

My happiness vanished. "I'll do it for my dad Miku. I'm not doing this to get some idiot prince."

She nodded, "I know Rin….It's just that, I don't like it."

I knew what she meant. I was going to play around with someone else's feelings.

"I'll make sure I won't win Miku. My dad wouldn't like that anyways. He wouldn't be proud. I still plan on quitting. I'll just get some money first. This way once I lose, I'll be able to pay for college fees and save up for my dad's operation." I replied.

Miku nodded, "I'll help too Rin."

I shook my head, "No. I couldn't do that to you. Besides, you need the money too."

Miku didn't say anything.

"Me and Rinto should be able to gather enough money by ourselves. He has a job too, so you don't need to help." I assured her.

"Rin, that operation is worth-" Miku began.

"I can do it" I said cutting her off. "I have too…"

_"Rinto?" I was tugging his shirt. He looked down. "Is daddy leaving us too?"_

_He looked taken aback. He immediately embraced me. "No Rin. Daddy's not leaving us." His voice started to crack "He..He's just going to go to sleep. He'll wake up though. One day, he'll wake up."_

_"Rinto?" I was hugging him tightly in return._

_"Yes Rin?" he asked._

_"What's going to happen to us?" I asked._

_He paused, "The adoption agency is going to take us. If we're lucky we might find a new home._

_I was quiet. Tears were forming in my eyes again. I didn't want my father to leave us. "W… we won't be separated, right?"_

_He didn't responded. I started crying. He rubbed my back. "Yea, I promise. We won't be separated. I'll protect you Rin. I promise..."_


	5. The Day I 'Didn't' Meet The Prince

**Hi people! It's been a while. Sorry for that. School has been terrible. I think you can all relate to that. Anyways, I bring to you, on this Christmas day, a new chapter of Contests! I hope you like my present to all of you! Merry Christmas! (If you celebrate it) and Happy Holidays to all!**

**Thanks to everyone who Followed and Favorited this story. It makes me really happy ^^. Also Special thanks to: Moonlight Queen, Guest, ZanyAnimeGirl, and Alice for reviewing.**

**P.S. - Flame loves to review so I can't stop her, but you can just ignore her reviews XP. **

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><p><strong>FlameRuby's announcement to the public!<strong>

**Yes, I know there wasn't an announcement last time. For there was no FlameRuby to edit that chapter!**

**In other words, I was busy with a bunch of work. Hehe, sorry!**

**I can do a cartwheel. What can you do? **

**Oh! Another question! How many of y'all watched that Legend of Korra finale? Kunoichi and I watched it together with a bunch of food. It was tragic. WHY DID IT END. Please post your opinions in your reviews.**

**Have any of you seen Kyoukai no Kanata?**

**Alright, I guess that's enough questions for now!**

**Yeah, but I hope you enjoy this chapter and I hope to edit that other chapter sometime later. **

**Happy Holidays!**

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><p><strong>Len's POV<strong>

"Kaito, what are you doing?" I asked. I opened the door to his bedroom and found him hiding his CHOCO CHOCO DELICIOUS! ice cream in some kind of secret department.

"Oh, hey Len!" He exclaimed while quickly turning around. "I'm not doing anything! Why do you ask?" he said trying to sound casual.

I rolled my eyes at Kaito's attempt to hide the secret department. As I was closing the door behind me, I muttered, "Hurry up and hide that before the maids come. I'm sure our parents won't be happy seeing whatever's in there."

He grinned and did as he was told, "Thanks for keeping the secret!"

"No problem," I responded while walking over to the large sofa. Grabbing the TV remote on the coffee table, I turned on the TV to the news channel with low volume. They were broadcasting yesterday's photo shoot of the suitors. Polls for the most attractive suitor had already been set up by the public. I swear, they all were crazy.

Kaito tip toed over and leaned on the sofa headrest with a sly glint in his eyes, "Anyone catch your eye?"

I shook my head, "No, not really. I haven't even formally met all of them."

He sighed and nodded. Glancing towards the screen, he noted, "The results for my suitors are up. Some of these ladies are attractive!"

I looked directly into his thoughtful eyes, "Please tell me you're not thinking anything dirty."

He rolled his eyes, "Len, Lenny, Len-Len. I'm not that much of a pervert!"

"Yeah, you are that much!" I replied. "And don't called me those weird nicknames."

He threw a pillow at me which I dodged with ease. I was about to boast about my wonderful skill when another pillow hit the back of my head. Glaring at Kaito's smirking face, I picked up several cushions for ammo. I strategically made plans of where to hit Kaito at certain places of the room. A small evil smile tugged at my lips. This would be perfect.

My genius thoughts were interrupted when I heard loud knocking on the door. I quickly put the cushions back and turned off the TV. Kaito gestured for me to throw the pillows back at him. I threw back each of the blue pillows in hope that we would make in time before the person entered the room.

The knocking continued, but it was even louder than before. I grabbed two books from Kaito's bookshelf and put one down on the coffee table. I opened the one I kept to a random page and started pretending to read it. Kaito gave me a thumbs up before opening the door.

Our father stood there looking slightly miffed, "How many times do I have to knock to get your attention?"

"I was reading a book, father. I was so absorbed into the wonderful story, to the point that I didn't notice any noises. Forgive me," Kaito replied smoothly.

King Shion sighed, "I see."

He peeked into the room to see me 'reading' a book. "Ahh, I see you are here, Len."

I smiled, "The contest is a little overwhelming so I thought I'd relax my nerves with Kaito."

He nodded in sympathy. "I remember when I was in your position. Do not fret for I understand how you feel. I hope you both choose the right suitor. A suitor that will make both you and the country happy."

"I'm sure we will," I replied.

Our father looked satisfied with my answer, "Enjoy your free time."

He gave us one last look of sympathy before leaving. Once we couldn't hear his footsteps against the old wood of the castle, Kaito closed the door.

"That was close!" Kaito said.

"No kidding." I replied while walking over to the bookshelf to put away the books.

"Did you really come here to 'relax your nerves' with me?" Kaito laughed.

"Please don't say that. It sounds disturbing coming out of your mouth." I blatantly stated.

He grinned and and opened the door. "Len Kagamine wants to relax his nerves with me!"

"What the heck did you just do?" I demanded in anger.

He laughed, "It's alright Len. No one's really going to believe it."

"If that wasn't true, I would kill you right now." I growled.

Kaito smiled cheekily and looked at his clock, "We have to prepare ourselves to meet the ladies now."

I looked towards the clock and sighed, "You're right. Let's go. Meiko's going to kill us if we're late."

"No kidding," Kaito agreed.

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><p><strong>Rin's POV<strong>

"Len Kagamine wants to relax his nerves with me!" someone shouted.

I would've thought it was a fangirl of the prince, but it was undoubtedly the voice of a guy. I supposed there were some gay guys who liked Len. Wasn't security supposed to take care of unauthorized people in the castle? I sighed and decided that there was no point thinking about such a useless topic.

I got off my couch with a sudden burst of energy after doing nothing all day. Miku and I were planning to visit the library. TV was fun, but books were a totally different thing. I walked out my door and locked it with my key card.

"Miku? You ready yet?" I called. I was pretty sure she could overhear me through the door.

I heard her footsteps as she ran to the door. Miku opened it with a big smile on her face, "Yep! Let's go!" she said and locked her door as well.

We started walking in a random direction. "So, where's the library?" Miku asked after a couple of minutes of silence.

I paused, "I don't know."

She looked horrified, "You don't mean you're going to tell me..."

"We're lost," I confirmed.

Miku searched her pockets to see if she had her phone with her, "I don't have it."

I checked to see if I had mine. I whipped it out and quickly dialed Oliver's number, when I found it. Unfortunately, I got a text message informing me that I was out of money for my prepaid plan. "No good," I moaned.

She sighed, "It won't do us any good to panic. Let's just look around and see if we can find some help."

"How are you so calm?" I asked.

She shrugged, "I just thought of the most logical thing to do in the situation. It's to stay calm."

My eyes narrowed, "Who are you and what have you done to Miku?"

She rolled her eyes, "I am Mikuo Hatsune, Miku's twin brother. I'm also a guy dressed up in a wig." she said.

"I knew it," I said nodding, like it all made sense.

Miku sighed and walked ahead of me, "Come on Rinny."

I scowled, "Don't call me Rinny!"

She smirked and continued walking, "Rinny! Rinny!"

"Miku stop it!" I ordered.

She stuck out her tongue, "I'm not Miku, remember" She paused, before saying "...Rinny?"

Cracking my knuckles, I was ready to strangle her. Her eyes widened to size of saucers as she took a few slow steps back. Those steps quickly transformed into a run.

"Miku. I'm going to kill you!" I screamed as I started pursuing her.

"Catch me if you can! I'm the gingerbread man! ...I mean woman!" She yelled back.

I facepalmed. This girl didn't always act her age. I wondered how she passed the college exam.

I noticed I was gaining too much speed so I tried slowing down. Quickly, I learned that the shoes that the palace had given me weren't meant for running. They started slipping off my feet and onto the marble tiles. I tried slowing down, but I kept sliding from the lack of friction between the slippers and perfectly polished floor. In the end, I fell backwards and landed on my bottom..

"Oww," I groaned, rubbing the area of pain.

Miku, who seemed to be struggling with the shoes as well, was sliding right into an empty knight suit with a spear directly positioned in front of it. I panicked and kicked off my flats. If we made a mess of things I was sure that it would be 'off with our heads'. Running at full speed, I tackled her right when she was about to hit the suit of armor.  
>"My hero!" she cried, throwing her arm around me.<p>

I punched her on the shoulder. She winced. "Now I know that you're the real Miku. She does a lot of stupid stuff." I stated.

Miku scowled, but didn't protest. "Thanks for the save."

I smiled, "What are best friends for?"

"Bailing you out of jail?" She questioned.

I grinned, "A, we're too amazing to be in jail. B, if we were in jail, I'd be in there with you."

She returned the grin. "How could I ever forget that?"

"I dunno," I said while looking towards the ceiling and crossing my arms against my chest. "You've offended my trust in our friendship."

"No! Don't! Rinny, give me another chance!" she cried.

"I'm not sure if I can do that Miku…" I paused while pretending to contemplate. I looked off into the distance. "I don't know if I-I can trust you anymore..."

"Rin, please!" she begged. Real tears from her wide blue eyes were threatening to seep out.  
>"I-I'll give you another chance," I said pretending to think about it a lot.<p>

"Thank you Rin!" she said. Her tears were spilling now, but they were 'tears of joy'.

Miku gave me a hug and I hugged her back. She was about to say something when we heard someone clapping from behind us. We froze, both shocked and embarrassed. I could feel my face burning up.

I turned around to see Meiko with Prince Kaito and Prince Len. Prince Kaito looked deeply moved by the performance. Len smiled with an amused expression. Meiko, on the other hand, was bursting with laughter.

"You guys are adorable!" she said when she finally caught her breath.

"T-thanks" Miku stuttered. She was the color of a ripe tomato.

"Oliver told me that you two were interesting, but that was brilliant!" Meiko continued.

I didn't think it was humanely possible, but I turned even redder. "Sorry." I mumbled and looked down.

"I'm not scolding you both," she said shaking her head. "I think I like you guys even more now!"

We looked at her in shock. I knew the extent of our weirdness. It was limitless. Compliments were unheard of to us. "How?" Miku asked, baffled by Meiko's actions.

Meiko shrugged, "I like how you both are being yourself even in a fierce competition."

We looked at each other in realization. That explained why we dressed similarly! I felt happy that Miku didn't want to change for the sake of the competition, but I supposed her reasons were completely different from mine. After all, she did have a little crush on Prince Kaito. My feelings for Prince Len were nonexistent, unless you considered hate a feeling for him.

"Oh! Right. I need you two in hair and makeup now. You'll be seeing the prince's in three hours," she said.

We titled our heads to see the princes behind her. "Um…" Miku said pointing at the them..

Meiko gestured at them, "Pretend that these kids were never here."

"Okay," I said. They were about to leave when I shouted, "Wait!"

Prince Len and Prince Kaito paused to turn around. Confusion was written over both of their faces.

"Please forget that you ever saw th-that scene," I sputtered.

Kaito grinned, "Nope! Sorry, I don't want to." He winked at Miku who turned red once again after having her face return to its normal color.

Len just smirked, "I'll think about it."

They continued walking away from us. My face grew hot with anger and embarrassment. I wanted to kill them both.

Meiko saw my murderous expression and laughed, "Come on, Rin. Let's get you ready to meet the Prince for the 'first' time," she said.

"I wonder if he'll be a jerk," I replied sarcastically.

She squealed, "I already know who I'm going to ship for this competition!"

I didn't know why, but I felt like that was bad news.


	6. The Interview

**Hi guys! I have another chapter for you! I had so much fun writing this one. I think you'll like it. ^^. Oh Guess what? Contests has a new picture! It took me a while to draw it. I'm not a professional so i'm sorry if it doesn't look good. I tried my best. Also, me and Flame will start replying to your reviews. If you have any questions feel free to review! If you don't mind, address it to one of us so we know who your talking to. (ex. To Witch: or To Flame:)**

**I suppose I'll start asking questions too haha. um...What do you think will happen next? If your predictions are super interesting, I might incorporate your idea in the story :) **

**Like always, Thanks to everyone who Followed and Favorited! Special Thanks to: MikanAru, superpiggyy, Alice, B.L, Missy Missy Bounce, Lolly1o1, ZanyAnimeGirl, Marimosaber, moonlight quden, Kaleidoscopic Dragon, and Ashe Corinthos**. **I love you guys!**

**MikanAru: Thank you!**

**Alice: Thank you! Yep he is! **

**B.L: Aww thanks! ^^**

**Missy Missy Bounce: Thank you! I'm glad I stumbled on the idea.**

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**Kaleidoscopic Dragon: Thank you! I promise to add more Kaito and Miku soon!**

**Ashe Cornithos: I'm so glad you like it! Thanks for reading!**

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><p><strong>FlameRuby's message to the public:<strong>

**Hi! **

**Another question! What is your… favorite flavor of ice cream? **

**I'd like to say something to superpiggyy **

**It's awesome that you think so too! I cried. I was in a ball and my friend was patting my back. It was fantastic. For the past few weeks, Fridays are the days where we feel sad. And the pain! Oh the pain. It hurts.**

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><p>"Don't you both love how you look?" Meiko asked. She seemed proud of her work.<p>

Miku twirled around, "The dress is gorgeous!"

Meiko smiled. "Of course it is! I designed it! Continue complimenting my wonderfulness."

I laughed, "Meiko, you're amazing!"

She grinned, "Rin, Rin, Rin. I'm disappointed you figured that out only now."

I rolled my eyes playfully and shook my head slightly at her pride.

While fingering through the folds of my dress, I noticed the beautiful details even more. It was a magnificent golden yellow with fabric that was smooth and comfortable. Black floral designs were decorated across the fabric and made the dress stand out. The sleeves were black and poofy. They added a nice touch to the design. This dress reached my ankles as well, unlike the last one I wore. I absolutely adored it.

I wasn't really a feminine person, but Meiko knew how to bring the little femininity I did have out of me. The dress was an amazing work of art. Other than Miku's gown, there wouldn't be a gown that matched it's beauty.

Meiko had given me a black choker with a yellow stone in the middle to wear around my neck. Miku had one similar to mine and instead of the stone being yellow, it was a nice deep chokers made our the dress stand out even more.

"How's your hair and makeup?" Meiko asked.

"Fricken amazing!" Miku answered.

Miku's long, beautiful teal hair was down for the occasion. Meiko had placed a few raven black flowers in it. The colors clashed and created a marveling appearance.

My hair was put into a elegant bun for the occasion. Like Miku, black flowers were put into my hair, but they surrounded the bun. I didn't know how Meiko did it, but she managed to make me look regal. It reminded me of Rillane in the novel called the Daughter of Evil. Miku seemed to think that too, because she gasped and muttered, "My gods, Rin you just turned into Rillane!"

I chuckled. Meiko walked over and raised a brow. "It's an inside joke," I answered. She nodded and walked away.

Meiko's amazing job didn't end just there. She had done a wonderful job with the makeup too. It was light, but that had a certain beauty to it. The only thing she really worked on was our eyes. They looked fierce, alluring, and breathtaking.

With Meiko's great help, I knew I could make it past this round. From what I expected, the prince was probably going to judge us based on our appearances; there would be time to get to know each other later. This round was for first impressions and knowing who was in the competition.

"When do we go down to the room?" Miku asked. She seemed nervous. It made my already-cute-friend be even cuter. I looked at her with a reassuring smile. Kaito was definitely going to love her. If I wanted anyone to win this competition, it would definitely be Miku. There was no doubt about it.

Meiko looked at her watch. "You guys still have half an hour." She grabbed the TV remote and turned on the television."Let's watch what's going on with the reporters."

I pulled on the back of my black elbow length gloves that Galaco had given me and turned my attention towards the TV.

"Kyaa! We're at the ballroom right now. Doesn't it look splendid?" the reporter asked. The camera circled around the ballroom. It didn't look bad at all. It reminded me of the ballroom in Beauty and The Beast. I couldn't help but smile at the elegant room.

Childhood memories washed over me. On halloween night when I was 9, I had dressed up as Belle. I felt so pretty in that charming yellow gown. Miku was dressed as Cinderella and Rinto had accompanied us as Beast. When I asked him why, he told me that every princess needed a prince.

I internally sighed. Rinto was a great brother to be with even though he did have his annoying moments. I truly missed him. He was currently working as a programmer in a prestigious company and he was usually never free to visit. The company was well-known, so it needed as many workers and working hours it could get. Rinto was working hard to earn money for our fathers operation. I could feel a wave of determination wash over me; I would work hard to earn some money from this competition as well.

I turned my attention back towards the TV. The reporter was commenting on how amazing both the princes looked. Kaito was wearing a nice suit that was a deep blue, sharp and well-fitted. I glanced at Meiko who had a hint of amusement in her eyes, "And he said it would make him look weird."

"Do you know him?" Miku asked out of curiosity.

She turned towards her and grinned, "Why? Want me to spread a good word?"

Miku flushed, "No!"

After another few teasing remarks, Meiko nodded. "I know both the princes."

Meiko looked my way to see my expression. I wasn't that surprised. She was with them not so long ago and was in a comfortable manner. They must have been friends.

"'I design their clothes and do their makeup. It's like what I'm doing with yo-" she paused and scrunched up her nose after glancing at the screen once again, "Len's bow is a little crooked."

"Meiko," I said catching her attention.

"We've known each other since we were kids. They're like my little brothers," she continued. A small smile grew on Meiko's lips. I could tell that she was proud of where they were now. She was proud of them more than any of her works.

My eyes darted towards the T.V. screen and zeroed in on Len. Maybe Len wasn't as bad as I imagined him to be. After all, Meiko did like him. There had to be some hope in this. He couldn't have been that bad.

I dismissed the thought once Meiko had taken out a deck of cards. "It's to pass the time," she answered when Miku and I gave her odd looks.

"Alright, let's play BS!" Miku declared.

To my surprise an hour flew by quickly. We probably would have been bored to death without the cards.

"We'll go after we finish the game!" I promised when Meiko had ordered us to go to the ball room.

"Please Meiko? Please?" Miku asked. We were playing an intense session of BS. Miku was on the verge of winning, but I had a plan to defeat her.

Meiko groaned and walked behind me. At first, I thought she had given up, but I felt a sharp pinch on my ear right afterward. I dropped my cards as she pulled me up to my feet. She walked over to Miku and did the same thing. With both of our ears in each of her hands, she dragged us out the room. She let us free when we reached the ballroom. I rubbed my ear with a hurt look on my face.

"You didn't need to do that," Miku growled.

Meiko rolled her eyes and questioned innocently, "Would you have finished your game in five minutes?"

"Yes," I replied.

She gave me a look that clearly said 'not believing it'.

"No," I corrected.

Meiko looked satisfied with my answer. She glanced at the ballroom before looking back at us.

"Here's some advice," Meiko started as she put both of her hands on each of our shoulders and looked into both of our eyes. "There are cameras everywhere. I want you two to smile wide and be on your best behavior. This is a great opportunity for you both to show you being yourselves. The interviews will be somewhat different this year. They're happening first instead of the dances. Think of these as part one and two. You have to do well in both. Make sure to give Len and Kaito good impressions. Good luck!"

Miku smiled, "Thanks Meiko."

"No problem! Kiddos, that's what I'm here for," Meiko glanced at the party one more time before continuing, "I'll be back here in a few minutes for the party. I'll see you then."

We watched her walk down the hall until she disappeared from our view.

Taking in a deep breath, I scanned the ballroom for all the different competitors. I recognized some faces from the TV screen that first day. Neru was by the punch bowl cheerfully talking to some of the other competitors. Gumi was sitting by herself in the corner. She was reading something on her phone. IA was grabbing a drink that the butlers and maids were passing out.

"Our first obstacle," Miku murmured while looking at the reporters and cameras heading towards us.

"Yep," I muttered back.  
>The perky reporter that we had seen on the TV that day had reached us first. She was followed by her camera man who was pointing his camera at us.<p>

I tried my best to put on a dazzling smile. Miku had done the same, except mine probably didn't look as genuine as hers. I hoped my attempt at a pretty smile didn't look odd. It felt awkward keeping that expression on my face.

"Rin Kagamine and Miku Hatsune have just walked into the ballroom together. They look dashing in their matching gowns, don't you think? You can just tell how deep their friendship," She commented cheerfully.

I tried to not change my expression. While trying to take in the crowd in front of me, I wondered if wearing matching ball gowns was a gesture of friendship for royalty.

The reporter put the microphone in front of my face. I wondered why I felt the pressure of hundreds of eyes watching me now. Butterflies flew rapidly in my stomach. I groaned underneath my breath and tried to regain my confidence. Quickly composing myself, I looked towards the reporter directly in the eye and complimented, "Oh, you're too kind."

The reporter smiled and switched the microphone to Miku. I relaxed slightly knowing that the focus wasn't on me anymore. Miku replied with ease, "Rin and I wouldn't let anything in the world come between our friendship. Not even clothes."

The reporter nodded and turned to face the camera. "A beautiful friendship indeed," she turned back towards us to say, "Well I hope you beautiful ladies have a good time here. Good luck with your interviews!"

"Thank you so much. We hope you have a good time too," Miku cheerfully replied.

The reporter nodded and walked away towards another contestant who was just walking in.

"Look who's a professional," I whispered when the reporter was gone.

Miku grinned, "So I did good?

I nodded in agreement. Miku smiled even bigger and was obviously proud of herself. She saw my frown and reassuringly said, "Cheer up, Rin. You did great."

I nodded again, but I really didn't pay any attention to those words. Miku frowned and stepped in front of me. She put both of her hands on my shoulders and stared directly into my face. I stared back and started to feel uncomfortable.

"Cheer up. You did great. And hey! Even if you didn't, you shouldn't frown. You should suck it up and recover from your blunder," she advised.

This time I took Miku seriously,"Thanks."

Miku slapped my back with sympathetic look, "C'mon interviews are going to start. I heard they're random."

Just as she gestured to the glass bows with little white slips of paper, Meiko came out in a red, knee length dress. Looking beautiful as always, she picked out a paper with probably a hint of amusement in her eyes. I was probably just imagining it until Meiko leaned forward and cleared her throat, "Can Rin Kagamine please come to the private room to have her interview?"

The evil little butterflies returned. Miku nudged me forward and mouthed 'good luck'. I beamed for the cameras and went up the stairs. I put my chin up high when I remembered what Effie Trinket had told her tributes in The Hunger Games.

Wondering if Effie's advice would be useful, I realized that I was facing my own battle to the death right now. I was against a hoard of Len fangirls and it was more terrifying for every step I took. I could feel all their envious stares watching me from behind. They were probably judging me at the very moment. Even if I didn't win in the beauty category, I hoped my personality could win over the prince.

"You'll do fine," Meiko whispered comfortingly when I stood at the top of the stage and held my shaking hands together. "Remember what I told you."

Meiko opened up the door and gestured for me to go inside. Prince Len was sitting there, reading a book. He looked up and smiled when he saw me. I supposed it would make most of the contestants heart melt, but I wasn't amongst the most.  
>After I sat down on a chair opposite to his, I heard Meiko close the door. I looked around the room out of curiosity. I noticed that there weren't any cameras, so that was a relief. I faced Prince Len who watched me with interest. Other girls would have felt happy, but I felt slightly creeped out at his behavior. Even though I knew it was currently his job to observe me, I couldn't help but shudder from the amount of attention I was getting.<p>

He smiled, "Hello dear. How was your day?"

I scowled at the use of dear. It felt disgusting to be called by that name. In the end, I quickly covered it up with a smile. "It's good. Thank you. How's yours?" I asked.

He noticed, but ignored it, "Good, thank you."

I nodded while giving a small smile, "Of course."

The conversation was quickly turning more awkward. I mentally chided myself to be more talkative. However, I just couldn't bring myself to talk to him. Something in my head said that it was probably because I hated him. I groaned and decided that I had to put aside my anger for the time being. Prince Len heard me talking under my breath and raised a brow. My cheeks flared and I shook my head with embarrassment. He stared at me for a moment before his eyes looked at me with recognition.

I supposed he remembered that I was the girl with Meiko from this morning. Mentally wincing, I saw my good impression fly out the window. He probably thought I was a weirdo now.

Prince Len unexpectedly grinned, "You're the girl from the morning, aren't you?"

I debated whether to lie or not. Deciding it was pointless since he would probably find out later, I answered, "Yes, your majesty."

He continued smiling with amusement dancing across his eyes. My evil little butterflies were going crazy in my stomach again! I gulped while awaiting his answer. I hoped that he wasn't going to kick me out. He opened his mouth to speak, "Do you often do things like that?"

I felt a hollow feeling settle down in my stomach. I hated myself for worrying whether he disapproved or not. Sadly, I couldn't help it no matter what I tried. "Not intentionally." I answered. My voice sounded quiet.

He chuckled, "Of course."

My face flushed from embarrassment again. I reminded myself that I could and had to get through this competition. For the sake of my dad, I brought myself together and watched him with curious eyes.

"What did you do before you came to the castle?" he asked, changing the subject.

I smiled recalling the memory of college, "I was a student at Vocaloid University."

Len nodded and inquired, "What were you studying?"

"I want to be a musician when I grow up. I was studying music," I replied.

I thought I was imagining it, but for a moment I saw his eyes light up in interest, "Did you enjoy it?"

My face brightened as I started to enjoy the conversation. This was heading into my territory.

"I enjoy it a lot. I love music," I paused and looked up. Prince Len continued giving me a big smile. My breath hitched since he seemed actually interested. I ignored it and continued, "I love the feeling of being free when I sing. It's like I'm creating a story through my words. A short story full of love, pain, regret, happiness, and every other emotion you can think of."

Feeling how passionate I sounded while saying this, my cheeks turned red. I looked up at the Prince. He gave me a warm smile. I didn't understand why, but that made me turn redder.

"I love music too." He announced, surprising me. He laughed, "My father get's really annoyed because I spend way too much time studying it."

We talked about our musical interests for the next half hour. I was horrified when I found myself feeling disappointed that I had to leave.

"Goodbye, dear," Len called out.

I scowled once more, not bothering to cover it up this time. He chuckled, "What is it?"

"I'm not your 'dear'," I answered with my eyebrows furrowed.

He sighed, "Alright. What would you like me to call you?"

"Rin," I said. "You can call me Rin."  
>He smirked, "Well Rin, I had a nice time talking with you. I hope we see each other again soon."<p>

I could feel my face grow hot. When I came back to the ballroom I had asked Miku about it. She seemed as surprised as I did. Unlike me, she had an answer to my predicament.

"Maybe it's because you're falling in love," Miku dreamily said.

I replied angrily to her illogical answer, "I am not falling in love with Len Kagamine!"

My heart told me otherwise…..This was bad.


End file.
